JUNE 19/2002

 CRIMINAL ACTION AGAINST THE HOMELESS

The EPRDF, in power in Ethiopia, has once again committed a gross violation of rights as concerns no less than 4000 people who were classified as "homeless and unemployed" and rounded up by the police and transported manu militari to the forest of Sheno, far from of Addis Abeba, and abandoned. Hyenas infest the Sheno forest.

Among the victims of this inhumane action we find numerous handicapped people, some pregnant women, some breast- feeding females, underage children of both sexes and very elderly people. The EPRDF had resorted to such a brutal action some years ago and caused the deaths of several people (they were eaten by hyenas). Some of those who were rounded up and got dumped at the Sheno forest have managed to trek back to Addis Abeba and they have revealed to the independent press that the security forces threatened them with dire consequences if they screamed and protested during their transportation to the forest. They declared that many of them were thrown on the street and into unemployment because the authorities forbade them from selling newspapers or commodities by denying them permits.

 SOCEPP vigorously condemns the brutal acts of the EPRDF and calls on all human rights organizations to join it in the protest and in the call fort he respect of human rights in Ethiopia.

SOCEPP